(Minghui.org) Six Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, residents, stood trial on November 20, 2024 for their faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since July 1999.
Mr. Wang Guiling, in his 60s, Mr. Wang Zhoushan, Ms. Meng Chunying, Ms. Liu Yurong, 62, Ms. Liu Jingju, around 70, and Ms. Jing Suming, 73, were all arrested on April 14, 2024. Ms. Jing was soon released on bail after she was found to have severe heart disease. The other five practitioners have since been held at the Jinzhou City Detention Center.
The Linghai City Court, which has been designated to handle Falun Gong cases in the greater Jinzhou region, held a joint hearing of the six practitioners on November 20, 2024. Presiding judge Cheng Cheng initially did not allow any family members, most of whom coming from out of town, to attend the hearing. She later reluctantly allowed one member per family to go inside after the defense lawyers spoke to her. The remaining family members protested against Cheng as she had no legal basis to block them outside. She eventually allowed everyone to enter the courtroom half an hour after the hearing had already started.
Ms. Jing remained fragile from her heart conditions and walked into the courtroom with the help of two relatives. Judge Cheng had her sit in a chair during the hearing and did not ask her any questions. She did not say a word either.
The other five practitioners, all handcuffed, appeared emaciated and haggard. Ms. Liu had difficulty walking and was helped by two bailiffs. The five of them had three lawyers represent them and enter not guilty pleas for them. They all testified against the police for arresting them without showing any IDs or search warrants. No list of confiscated items was provided as required by law. Additionally, the arresting officers had their supervising agency, the local domestic security division, verify the prosecution evidence when only an independent, third-party forensic agency is authorized to do so. The defense lawyers also pointed out that the five practitioners didn’t sign the police interrogation records, which thus should not be used as admissible evidence in the trial.
Prosecutor Li Feng of the Linghai City Procuratorate only showed photos of the prosecution evidence, not the actual items. He also accused Mr. Wang Guiling, Mr. Wang Zhoushan, Ms. Meng, and Ms. Liu Yurong of being “repeat offenders” as the former three were all previously given forced labor terms and the latter twice jailed (Ms. Liu was given 6 years in 2002 and 3 years in 2022). The four practitioners argued that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong and they shouldn’t have been incarcerated before for their faith in the first place.
Judge Cheng adjourned the hearing in one and a half hours. Ms. Jing was let go afterwards and the remaining practitioners were taken back to the Jinzhou City Detention Center.
Arrest Details Exposed in Trial
The five practitioners who testified in their own defense also detailed how they were arrested on April 14, 2024.
Mr. Wang Guiling said two plainclothes officers suddenly grabbed him when he stepped outside his apartment building. They handcuffed him and took him back inside to raid his home. Two more officers also came. None of the four officers showed their IDs or a search warrant. Mr. Wang later refused to sign the interrogation records at the local police station.
Mr. Wang Zhoushan had two cases of blank copy paper confiscated from his home. The police alleged that the blank copy paper was Falun Gong propaganda. Mr. Wang argued that he broke no law in purchasing the copy paper in the first place.
Ms. Meng recounted, “The police suddenly broke into my home and pushed me down on the sofa. Without showing a search warrant, they began to rummage through my house, confiscating a large amount of cash and other valuables.” Following her arrest, three male officers pulled down her pants and pushed her down on a toilet seat, before using a catheter to collect her urine sample against her will.
Ms. Liu Jingju said she was home alone when the police broke in and arrested her. They didn’t allow her to put her dentures on, causing her to have difficulty eating for more than one month. The police also never notified her children of her arrest.
Ms. Liu Yurong, a former teacher, said she never “confessed” but the police fabricated evidence against her to include in the interrogation records. She was fired from her teaching job after her first prison sentence in 2002 and deprived of her pension later on.
Related Reports:
Three Male Officers Collect Liaoning Woman's Urine Sample Against Her Will
Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province: Seven Locals Face Trial for Practicing Falun Gong
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